Renaissance of ancient Fife

Ryan Campbell ends his history of Fife with a homage to its pioneering spirit. “Through Andrew Carnegie’s generosity, the world was blessed by modern philanthropy,” he writes.

“Most notably in his birthplace, Carnegie bought over Pittencrieff House and estate, containing within it Canmore Tower, a monument to King Malcolm III of Scotland.

“Earlier, the park had been part of Col James Maitland Hunt’s private estate, and entry was unauthorised except on one day of the year as compelled on him by the local authorities as fruits of a campaign by Carnegie’s grandfather Thomas Morrison.

“Interestingly, a condition of the

agreement was that nobody from Morrison’s family could enter. When Carnegie finally purchased the estate in 1903, he donated it to the public for all to benefit, with Pittencrieff Estate converted to Pittencrieff Park and Pittencrieff House to a museum.

“Another industrial project with its heart in Dunfermline was the Forth Rail Bridge. As the longest bridge of its type ever built until 1919, it was an engineering marvel of its time. By connecting the rest of Scotland to Edinburgh and London it became a vital artery to the Scottish economy.

“It was so popular that two sister road bridges were inspired to cover the same route. Cementing Fife’s historic relevance further, the bridge was used as a landmark

for soldiers returning to Rosyth’s naval dockyard during both wars and was famously unscathed during the Nazis’ first World War Two raid on British shores.

“Fast forward to more recent years, and it’s easy to see why the people of Fife have felt their home is deserving of acclaim. Not only did this ancient kingdom play a critical role in the formation of the country, it went on to produce a city of grand contributors.

“A domino effect of philanthropy started in Fife liberated millions from poverty and poor education and now the royal hand has crowned Dunfermline a city once more.

“In years to come, this time in history may come to be viewed as an equally important milestone as the Battle of Dun Nechtain.”